Western Europe is confused with Western Bloc, a term referring to the part of Europe that mostly did not come under Communist rule at the end or after the Second World War (except for Portugal). Thanks to the financial help from the US (Marschall Plan), economic and political freedom, it became advanced, wealthy and stable that its counterpart, Eastern Bloc. In Western Europe, the European Union was created.

All Western European countries are listed by the Human Development Index as very highly developed countries.

Currently, as Europe is no longer divided into Western and Eastern Bloc, the use of the term Western, or Eastern Europe is seen as a faux past. It relates to the Cold War, which ended a generation ago.